The Dallas Mavericks have been a major disappointment in the 2022-2023 season, but a new report sheds light on what the organization has in mind to turn their fortunes around next season.
There was a lot of hope in Dallas before the start of this season. The team had reached the Western Conference Finals last spring and seemed to be a squad on the rise. However, despite bringing back much of the same team, it became obvious over the first few months of the new season that the loss of point guard Jalen Brunson was a bigger hit than some may have realized.
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In an attempt to fill and improve that hole, the Dallas Mavericks swung a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline for superstar guard Kyrie Irving. The new combo of Irving and Luka Doncic was viewed by many around the NBA as a duo that could quickly turn into a serious force in the West. However, that never materialized. Actually, the exact opposite has happened as the team is 9-16 since acquiring Irving in February.
Dallas Mavericks record (’22-’23): 37-42
Heading into the final games of the season, the Dallas Mavericks are a game out of an NBA Play-In Tournament spot and have been linked to rumors that the organization could shut down their top two stars the rest of the way and place a white flag over their season. While this campaign seems all but lost, the organization reportedly has plans on how to turn things around next season.
On Monday, Bleacher Report NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported that the first notable move the Mavericks would like to make this summer is to re-sign Kyrie Irving. The 31-year-old is eligible for an extension before becoming a free agent after the season, but he reportedly “will instead allow his future to be decided in free agency.”
Assuming they can bring 10-time All-Star back next season, Haynes added that the Dallas Mavericks believe that the only way the combo can work going forward is by having the next part of their plan to be surrounding “Luka Doncic and — optimistically — Irving with versatile wing defenders and rim protectors to improve a defense that has been subpar.”
It will be interesting to see where the team goes if they are unable to bring Irving back in 2023-2024 and how that changes their strategy around their top player.